Rumor Has It
by IronAmerica
Summary: Five lies that Nora Clayton believed, and one she didn't.


This is why I shouldn't listen to the radio when I'm trying to write... Nora is in love with Miles.

Un-beta'ed, so quibble away.

- o – o -

Rumor Has It

One

Nora insists that the general is not sleeping with the president or the idiot. (She's really not supposed to call Captain Baker, who is technically her boss, an idiot, but… Well, there's _something_ wrong with the man if he hasn't gone above the rank of captain, when everyone else from the original cadre is.) Besides, there's no way General Matheson is sleeping with either man. For one thing, he is undeniably straight. She's been in his bed more times than most of the women he invited to join him. Nora steadfastly refuses to tell anyone who asks what the general's favorite position is.

If it ever got out that she'd never actually had sex with him, her reputation would go down in a ball of flames.

Two

Nora knows more about the general and the president's childhood together than anyone else. Even the idiot—_Captain Baker_, she reminds herself, because she's pretty sure the man can read minds at this point—doesn't know anything about them. He looks surprised when Nora mentions that Bass and Miles grew up together. Nora smiles as he asks for more details, and fills him in with everything she's learned—from Miles himself, no less. (And damn if his pillow talk isn't enlightening, even if they still haven't had sex.) He leaves, looking like he's torn between laughing and crying.

Nora refuses to admit that she _might_ have been the butt of some obscure joke.

Three

Nora can picture the white dress she wants, down to the last detail, when Monroe tells her heard that Miles was thinking about proposing to her. The rumors that he's banging Monroe and Captain Baker are going to go away in a heartbeat. She leaves the informal little meeting with a tiny, tiny little bounce in her step. She's graduated from keeping Miles' bed warm for him—and keeping him company when he's out rallying the troops—to maybe _finally_ being in his bed.

She doesn't want to admit that Monroe _may_ be trying to dissuade some of the more persistent rumors and is using her to do so.

Four

Nora is all too eager to lead Miles away from Philadelphia when he comes to her, clutching his arm, blood seeping between his fingers. He's tried to kill General Monroe. He choked, and Jeremy—fucking Jeremy, his fucking secretary!—almost killed him. Nora holds him as he sobs into her shoulder, and bandages his arm after he sobs himself to sleep. She lifts him into bed, and lays next to him, just running a hand through his hair. The next day, they slip out through a service tunnel Nora knows of, the goes through the sewers in Philadelphia.

She doesn't know that she's endangering so many people by protecting Miles. And they're not the ones she thinks about as she leads Miles away.

Five

Nora struggles against her captors, trying to break free. There's no way she'll let those bastards take Miles back! They've already tried to kill him. And after that kiss, Nora isn't sure she can keep herself from trying to assassinate Captain Baker and President Monroe—Miles just means too much to her now. She protects Charlie, because that's what Miles would do. She glows as he gives her an approving look as she keeps the guards away from Charlie. It's a good feeling. Nora, Aaron, and Charlie are dragged away from Miles. Nora hears, later, that Monroe tied Miles down over a desk and fucked him until he bled. She hears that Captain Baker took a turn as well. The rumors change—no, it must not be true, because didn't I hear that Baker has this thing about the general's mouth and keeping it occupied? (Or was that the president?) Nora keeps Charlie ignorant of the rumors…

She still loves Miles, and she's pretty sure he loves her too. She hopes he does.

Six

She watches Jeremy Baker hold Miles on the ground. Nora doesn't struggle against her captors—there's no way she'd be able to rescue Miles. Not with so many guns in the room. She holds Charlie tightly, keeping the girl from watching as Bass pulls a brand out of the fire. Charlie has a similar brand on her right wrist, forever marking her as a member of the Militia—even if she was never one of them. Miles stares up at Bass, eyes wide with some unreadable emotion. Baker is kneeling on his wrists, and has one hand wrapped around Miles' hair. Miles has a gag in his mouth—to prevent him from screaming, or pleading, or swallowing his tongue as he's branded. Charlie quivers in her arms, and Nora knows the young woman is imagining the screams again.

Nora looks away as Bass presses the Militia brand into Miles' chest, over his heart. She can't admit that, maybe, she never even had Miles in the first place. She knows she never did.

Because he was here, with the people he loved.

And she'd been too blind to notice it.

- o – o -

Ah, unrequited love... What was it Shakespeare said? *shrugs* Good? Bad? Think Nora needs a relationship to make up for this? Drop a line and let me know!

Author's note: Reached to a little over 83K today. Will make my 100K goal this year! :D


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